Face shield headgear

ABSTRACT

Improved Headgear for a transparent face shield in which one end of a headband formed of flexible but non-elastic material is housed in, and is connected to, one end of a tube or sleeve of elastic material and the other end of which is housed in the tube and is adjustably connected to the other end of the tube by any suitable means such as by a snap carried by the sleeve adapted selectively to engage in one of a plurality of holes in the band so that the engaged hole and the snap are enclosed by the sleeve.

llnited States Patent [191 De Angelis FACE SHIELD HEADGEAR [75] Inventor: Armand De Angelis, Southbridge,

Mass.

[52] US. Cl. 2/8, 24/206 [51] Int. Cl. A611 9/06 [58] Field of Search 2/8, 9, 10, 325,

2/171, 3 A, 3 B, 3 C, l81,181.6,14 V, 68, 182.3, 183, 197, 321, 322; 24/70, 206, 163 A 2,881,443 4/1959 Barker, Jr. 2/9 3,047,876 8/1962 Malcom, Jr 2/9 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 4,017 11/1905 Great Britain 2/ 322 143,363 9/1951 Australia 24/163 A Primary Examiner-James R. Boler Assistant ExaminerWai M. Chan Attorney-Henry L. Shenier et al.

[57] ABSTRACT Improved Headgear for a transparent face shield in which one end of a headband formed of flexible but non-elastic material is housed in, and is connected to, one end of a tube or sleeve of elastic material and the other end of which is housed in the tube and is adjustably connected to the other end of the tube by "any suitable means such as by a snap carried by the sleeve adapted selectively to engage in one of a plurality of holes in the band so that the engaged hole and the snap are enclosed by the sleeve.

7 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures FACE SHIELD HEADGEAR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Safety regulations in many industries require that the workers be protected by transparent face masks. For example, workers on operations such a babbitting, grinding, buffing, spraying and pouring of metals require protection of the face and eyes against flying particles and fragments or the like. Such masks may be used in many other activities.

There are known in the prior art face masks for affording protection to workers on operations such as those described above. These face masks are provided with a headgear adapted to support the mask on the wearers head in front of his face. The headgear must not only firmly support the face shield or mask in position but it must be comfortable and should be adjustable to size. Face shield headgear of the type known in the prior art customarily incorporates a headband adapted to fit around the head and a crown band adapted to fit across the top of the head as well as a forehead or crown support to which the face shield itself is secured.

1 Headbands of elastic material have not proved satisfactory owing to the fact that they either do not support the mask firmly on the wearers head or they are not comfortable in use. Consequently, headbands of the prior art are formed from flexible but non-elastic material. Means is provided for adjusting the length of the flexible but non-elastic headbands of the prior art. It has been suggested that ratchet adjustments and the like be provided. Alternatively, it has been suggested that the sizes of the headband can be adjusted by means of snaps. These adjustments all are performed in discrete steps. The difficulty has arisen that if the strap is adjusted so that it securely holds the face mask in position, the non-elastic nature of the material results in annoying pressures against the wearers head. Alternatively, if the strap is adjusted to a position at which the headgear is comfortable, it does not hold the face mask in position with sufficient certainty. In addition to the foregoing, the snaps or the like which are employed have parts which may come into direct contact with the wearers head resulting in further discomfort. Ratchet operating knobs and the like of adjusting means of the prior art project outwardly from the wearers head creating the hazard that the mask may accidentally be knocked from the wearers head.

I have invented an improved headgear for a face shield which overcomes the defects of face shield headgear of the prior art. My improved headgear is comfortable while at the same time firmly holding the face shield in position on the wearer. It is adjustable to size while being comfortable in all adjusted positions. My headgear does not incorporate any projecting parts. It is simple in construction for the result achieved thereby.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One object of my invention is to provide a face shield headgear which overcomes the defects of face shield headgear of the prior art.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved face shield headgear which is comfortable while at the same time firmly holding the face shield in position on the wearers head.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved face shield headgear which is adjustable over a relatively wide range of head sizes, while being comfortable in all adjusted positions.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a face shield headgear in which the adjusting means is not in engagement with the wearers head.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a face shield headgear having an adjusting means with no projecting parts.

Other and further objects will appear from the following description.

In general my invention contemplates the provision of an improved face shield headgear incorporating a headband assembly comprising a flexible but nonelastic portion secured to the face shield and having a first end extending into and housed by a sleeve of elastic material secured at one end to the band and having another end housed within the sleeve and detachably connected to the other end of the sleeve by means of a snap or the like within the sleeve and adapted selectively to engage in one of a plurality of spaced holes in the non-flexible band portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings which form part of the instant specification and which are to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a face shield provided with my improved face shield headgear.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the headgear shown in FIG. 1 illustrating the adjusting means for the headgear shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, the protective assembly, indicated generally by the reference character 10, includes a face shield 12 which is formed from any suitable transparent plastic such for example as polycarbonate. The assembly includes a crown portion 14 which is secured to the face shield 12 by any suitable means such as by rivets 16. The crown portion 14 is formed from any appropriate relatively rigid plastic material. While I have shown the face shield 12 as being attached to the outer surface of the crown portion 14, adjacent to the lower edge thereof, it will readily be appreciated that it could as well be secured to the inner surface of the crown portion 14 if desired.

My improved headgear indicated generally by the reference character 18 is secured to the crown member 14 by any suitable means such for example as by pins or rivets 20 and 22 which permit the headgear 18 to pivot with respect to the assembly of the face shield and crown member 14.

Pins 20 and 22 pivotally receive a crown band 23 adapted to extend over the top of the wearers head when the headgear 18 is in position. I form the crown band 23 from any suitable thin flexible and nonresilient material such for example as metal stripping or stripping of synthetic resin or the like.

I form the headband 24 of the same flexible and nonresilient material as the crown band 23. One end 26 of the band 24 extends into and is housed by a tube or sleeve 28 formed of an elastic material such for example as natural or synthetic rubber. A rivet 30 or the like secures the band 24 at a location spaced from the end 26 to the sleeve 28 at one end thereof so that a portion of the band 24 from rivet 30 to end 26 extends over the major portion of the sleeve 28.

I insert the other end 32 of the band into the sleeve 28 over the end 26 so that appreciable portions adjacent to the ends of the band are in overlapping relationship.

I provide readily adjustable means for detachably connecting the band 24 at a location spaced from the end 32 to the end of sleeve 28 remote from the rivet 30. Band 24 adjacent to the end 32 is provided with a plurality of spaced openings 34. An opening 38 in the end of sleeve 28 remote from the rivet 30 receives a snap 36 which is adapted to be engaged in one of the openings 34 depending upon the size of the head of the wearer.

In use of a safety assembly provided with my improved headgear, the wearer first inserts the snap 36 selectively into one of the openings 34 with the sleeve 28 under tension so as securely to hold the face shield 12 in place. In this position, however, no excessive forces such as would cause discomfort are exerted on the wearer's head. It is to be noted also that the snap 36 is housed within the sleeve 28 when the assembly 10 is in use so that it will not exert undue localized pressure on the wearers head. It will further be seen that the assembly includes no projecting parts since the head of the snap 36 is enclosed and its base is substantially flush with the outer surface of sleeve 28.

It will be seen that l have accomplished the objects of my invention. I have provided an improved headgear for a face shield which overcomes the defects of headgear of the prior art. My headgear is readily adjustable over a relatively wide range of sizes while being comfortable in all adjusted positions. It firmly holds the face shield in position while not discomforting the wearer. It incorporates no projecting parts which might accidentally cause the mask to be knocked off the wearers head.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of my claims. It is further obvious that various changes may be made in details within the scope of my claims without departing from the spirit of my invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Headgear for retaining a protective member of the wearers head including in combination, a band of flexible non-elastic material adapted to engage the wearer's head, a sleeve of elastic material, one end of said sleeve receiving a first end of said band, means fixedly securing said band adjacent to said first end to said sleeve adjacent to said one end thereof, the other end of said sleeve receiving the second end of said band, and means for stepwise adjustably connecting said band adjacent to said second end to said sleeve adjacent to said other end of said sleeve approximately to size said headgear to a wearer's head, the elasticity of said sleeve accommodating deviation in the size of the wearer's head from said approximate size without discomfort to the wearer.

2. Headgear as in claim 1 in which the ends of said band are housed in said sleeve in overlapping relationship.

3. Headgear as in claim 1 in which said stepwise adjustable connecting means comprises interengageable means on said sleeve and on said band, said interengageable means adapted to engage at spaced locations along said band.

4. Headgear as in claim 3 in which said interengageable means comprise a snap on said sleeve and means forming a plurality of recesses spaced along the length of said strap for selectively receiving said snap.

5. Headgear for supporting a protective member on the head of a wearer including in combination, a strip of flexible substantially inelastic material adapted to engage the head of a wearer and adapted to be secured to said protective member, a sleeve of elastic material receiving and enclosing the ends of said strip with portions adjacent to said ends overlapping, means fixedly securing said strip to said sleeve at a location adjacent to one end of said sleeve and outside the over-lapping portions of said strip, and means for stepwise adjustably connecting said strip to said sleeve at a location adjacent to the other end of said sleeve and outside said overlapping portions approximately to size the headgear to a wearers head, the elasticity of said sleeve accommodating deviation in the size of the wearer's head from said approximate size without discomfort to the wearer.

6. Headgear as in claim 5 in which said means for stepwise adjustably connecting said strap to said sleeve comprises interengageable means on said strip and on said sleeve, said interengageable means being housed by said sleeve.

7. Headgear as in claim 6 in which said interengageable means comprise a snap carried by said sleeve and extending into said sleeve and means forming a plurality of spaced recesses in said band. 

1. Headgear for retaining a protective member on the wearer''s head including in combination, a band of flexible non-elastic material adapted to engage the wearer''s head, a sleeve of elastic material, one end of said sleeve receiving a first end of said band, means fixedly securing said band adjacent to said first end to said sleeve adjacent to said one end thereof, the other end of said sleeve receiving the second end of said band, and means for stepwise adjustably connecting said band adjacent to said second end to said sleeve adjacent to said other end of said sleeve approximately to size said headgear to a wearer''s head, the elasticity of said sleeve accommodating deviation in the size of the wearer''s head from said approximate size without discomfort to the wearer.
 2. Headgear as in claim 1 in which the ends of said band are housed in said sleeve in overlapping relationship.
 3. Headgear as in claim 1 in which said stepwise adjustable connecting means comprises interengageable means on said sleeve and on said band, said interengageable means adapted to engage at spaced locations along said band.
 4. Headgear as in claim 3 in which said interengageable means comprise a snap on said sleeve and means forming a plurality of recesses spaced along the length of said strap for selectively receiving said snap.
 5. Headgear for supporting a protective member on the head of a wearer including in combination, a strip of flexible substantially inelastic material adapted to engage the head of a wearer and adapted to be secured to said protective member, a sleeve of elastic material receiving and enclosing the ends of said strip with portions adjacent to saiD ends overlapping, means fixedly securing said strip to said sleeve at a location adjacent to one end of said sleeve and outside the over-lapping portions of said strip, and means for stepwise adjustably connecting said strip to said sleeve at a location adjacent to the other end of said sleeve and outside said overlapping portions approximately to size the headgear to a wearer''s head, the elasticity of said sleeve accommodating deviation in the size of the wearer''s head from said approximate size without discomfort to the wearer.
 6. Headgear as in claim 5 in which said means for stepwise adjustably connecting said strap to said sleeve comprises interengageable means on said strip and on said sleeve, said interengageable means being housed by said sleeve.
 7. Headgear as in claim 6 in which said interengageable means comprise a snap carried by said sleeve and extending into said sleeve and means forming a plurality of spaced recesses in said band. 